Adjustable gastric banding apparatus have provided an effective and substantially less invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery and other conventional surgical weight loss procedures. Despite the positive outcomes of invasive weight loss procedures, such as gastric bypass surgery, it has been recognized that sustained weight loss can be achieved through a laparoscopically-placed gastric band, for example, the LAP-BAND® (Allergan, Inc., Irvine, Calif.) gastric band or the LAP-BAND AP® (Allergan, Inc., Irvine, Calif.) gastric band. Generally, gastric bands are placed about the cardia, or upper portion, of a patient's stomach forming a stoma that restricts the food's passage into a lower portion of the stomach. When the stoma is of an appropriate size that is restricted by a gastric band, the food is held in the upper portion of the stomach provides a feeling of satiety or fullness that discourages overeating. Unlike gastric bypass procedures, gastric band apparatus are reversible and require no permanent modification to the gastrointestinal tract.
Over time, a stoma created by a gastric band may need adjustment in order to maintain an appropriate size, which is neither too restrictive nor too passive. Accordingly, prior art gastric band systems provide a subcutaneous fluid access port connected to an expandable or inflatable portion of the gastric band. By adding fluid to or removing fluid from the inflatable portion by means of a hypodermic needle inserted into the access port, the effective size of the gastric band can be adjusted to provide a tighter or looser constriction. Naturally, it would be desirable to allow for non-invasive adjustment of gastric band constriction, for example, without the use of a hypodermic needle.
A remotely adjustable gastric band is a medical device which allows a healthcare worker to adjust a gastric band without utilizing hypodermic needles to connect to an implanted access port. A handheld controller may be used to send radio frequency waves for powering and communicating with the implanted device. The implanted device can fill or drain the gastric band as requested by the healthcare worker via the handheld controller.
Birk, et al., U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0265645, and Birk, U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0156013, which are commonly-assigned and co-pending with the present application, are incorporated herein in their entirety by this specific reference. Both of these applications disclose certain approaches to implantable pumping systems that may be relevant.
Some versions of remotely adjustable gastric band systems may include a receiving coil for power induction to drive the pump. However, the location and/or orientation of the receiving coil may not provide desired power to the pump and/or other system components. Furthermore, the presence of metallic objects near the receiving coil may adversely affect the power provided to the system.
Additionally, some attempts have been made to utilize a remotely driven pump to inflate an inflatable portion of a gastric band. For example, Hassler, Jr., et al., U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2006/0252982 and 2005/0288739; Hassler, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 7,390,294, and U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2005/0267406 and 2005/0267500; and Jordan, et al., U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2008/0108862 generally disclose remote adjustment of a gastric band. However, the location and/or position of the induction coils in these systems may not provide the desired energy for the system.
Thus, there continues to be a need for more effective remotely adjustable gastric banding systems, particularly for systems that have more available power for driving the implantable pump and/or other system components. Further, there is a need for remotely adjustable gastric banding systems that have a more effective electric coil for receiving transmitted energy.